(Untitled)

[filmstarbeauty]

"There's nothing there," Blair said fingering the double strand of pearls around her neck. Hair slicked back into a low knot at the base of her neck, she touched the coffee table. Not much, but what could one expect from a man who lived alone? It didn't matter really, he could be such a dear when he wanted to be

Comments

[learnwhatsreal]

Just being at Blair's brought back a whole slew of feelings that Jenny had once thought were in the past. On the island, social status hadn't mattered much, but now, she was left to fend for herself again in a world that she'd never wanted anything more than to be a part of. It was enough to both make her glad she'd opted not to wear the pair of jeans she'd almost put on that morning, and to distract her from her initial purpose in coming here. The fact that Serena had been seen with Beat was all the proof she needed that she and Vanessa weren't the only ones on the island; the rest, then, was inconsequential. There was just no way Dan could continue to think she was insane, not with everyone else around with the same memories she had

[throw_it_off]

"Hey Jenny," Nate said with an easy smile when he met up with her. Without realizing it, he'd taken to circulating within the crowd. Maybe it was being back in New York, or just being back in Blair's house. Old habits died hard. "So I hear your brother kind of thinks you and Vanessa are high?"

[learnwhatsreal]

"I had to tell him," Jenny practically blurted out, cringing a little, though not really looking too displeased. This was all pretty crazy, but she was certain they would get through it. After living on that island, it was hardly the weirdest thing that had happened to any of them. "I wasn't going to, but - this is so much earlier than when I'm from, and he said something about our mom and dad still being together, so... I kind of freaked out. There wasn't really anything else to do."

[throw_it_off]

"Hey, relax," he said gently, giving her a faint, fond smile. "I'm with you on this one. If it would have helped anything with me, I would have been trying to explain it to any one who would listen." Nate huffed a short laugh and shook his head. "Besides, your brother's a hard one to sneak around. He would have harassed you into spilling sooner or later."

[throw_it_off]

So, Nate and Kate had gotten there as fast as they could, which wasn't really all that fast but the effort had been made. But what with flagging down a taxi, running into a shop to get Kate real clothes and the ubiquitous city traffic, the pair arrived what we would call 'fashionably late'.

Kind of nonplussed by the weird situation (after all, waking up to a near fist-fight with his father was way better than an all-out comic book grade war), Nate grabbed himself a danish or two and coffee. However long they were in dream New York, he was gonna enjoy it.

[forhawkeye]

Even though we didn't really do any sightseeing, it's not hard to tell that this New York is as strange to me as my New York was strange to Nate. No Baxter Building, no Stark Tower, no S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, no people flying around... It'd be surreal even if it wasn't a mass hallucination.

I'm wearing designer clothes for the first time in eight months, a fact that's not entirely lost on me. Sure my hair could use some work -- and I'm still without makeup -- but those are both problems with pretty easy solutions, and I'm not entirely concerned. As long as I don't have to step foot back in Nate's townhouse, I'll be perfectly fine for however long this dream lasts.

Picking apart one of the danishes, I hang around one of the windows, looking down at the street. I might be from the Upper East Side, but unless aliens decide to make a surprise appearance, I'll leave the planning in the hands of the experts.

[satdownandwrote]

There's someone I don't recognize, that's the first appeal, and then I notice that she's positioned herself away from everyone else, and that clinches it. I'm pissed to Hell at Serena, but I'm not dead. Anyway, there's no harm in introducing myself to a separated stranger, maybe rescuing her from the gilded clutches of Blair Waldorf before it's too late.

"If you're looking for an escape, window's not the way to go. Far ways down and no fire escape. May I suggest the far side window?" That's my opener, delivered with a smile.

[forhawkeye]

I quickly swallow my mouthful of danish, surprised when this random guy starts talking to me. I'd been under the impression that the purpose of today's impromptu gathering was to see who remembered being stuck on Gilligan's Island, but I'm about 95% sure I've never seen him in my life, meaning he must be one of their friends. He's cute, though, so I don't entirely mind -- not that I'll be leaving Nate anytime soon, it's just worth mentioning.

Cracking a smile, I make a show of looking back down to the street before turning back towards him. Then, with an arched eyebrow, I say, "See, I'd go with the elevator shaft, personally. It's a classic."

[satdownandwrote]

If I was smiling before -- and I'm pretty sure I was -- I'm definitely smiling now. "That... was absolutely going to be my second option and for exactly that reason," I say, trying not to wonder if I know her from somewhere. Chances are if I figure out this nagging itch of familiarity, the illusion of pretty-girl-out-of-place will be completely shattered. Maybe she ran over me on her way to Chem or something.

"You know, I heard Blair is an evil genius. Most mean she's got rope and one of those repelling things around here somewhere..."

[throw_it_off]

It took a little while for Nate to see Eric's boyfriend. Shit, why couldn't he ever remember his name? It was weird; it should have stood out. But the poor guy stood out too, being one of the few unfamiliar faces in a group that had known each other or of each other for years.

"Roxas, hey," Nate said with a smile, remembering his name just before he opened his mouth. "How're you doing? Is Manhattan a lot or a little compared to where you're from, man?"

[throw_it_off]

Nate laughed a little too. New York was a big city and had a lot of stuff going on in it, but per square mile, compared to the world, it wasn't that big at all. Kind of made him wonder where Roxas was from.

"It's definitely a shock when you're not used to it," he agreed. "But don't let that intimidate you. It's a great city and I bet Eric'll make a great guide."

[turnthebadinme]

Arguing with Dan was every bit as draining as Serena had remembered. With that over with, all she could do was try and focus on what was ahead. It wasn't exactly her strength, but it was better to look ahead than to think about Dan any longer -- not here and now anyway.

Then again, there was also the option of sitting on the couch with a cup of tea and just hoping for the best. It was nice to see Kate was here, at least, and that everyone seemed to remember. It made things a lot easier.

[throw_it_off]

Nate had been doing his best to ignore what this morning meant, that all their old conflicts were still here and ready to rise up against them. It was just a dream; it would have been nice to treat it like a vacation. But they weren't all that lucky.

He perched himself on the arm of the couch with a slight smile. "Hey. How're you doing?" he asked.

[turnthebadinme]

Tipping her head up toward Nate, Serena smiled. "Not bad," she said. "About ready to get back out and see the city while this lasts, though." If there was an expiration date on all this, she meant to enjoy it while she could. It was almost a relief, honestly. As badly as she'd missed home, at least it meant getting out before Georgina could strike again.

[throw_it_off]

"Oh man, same here," Nate sighed, letting his head fall back. "After going to Kate's New York, anything Gossip Girl throws our way is child's play."

...Which it actually was, when you got to thinking about it. And Nate had.

"She's psyched to get make up. Going to a movie, a show, eating a steak... it might just blow our minds."